Jane Dobbins Green: Second Wife of McDonald’s Founder Ray Kroc, Not Mentioned in ‘The Founder’ Movie About McDonald’s Rise
Ray Kroc is a familiar name for plenty of people. This man is well-known globally for being the exceptional mind behind transforming McDonald’s into the fast food giant we know today.
However, only a few know that the late renowned businessman had three marriages that significantly impacted the trajectory of his life.
Oddly enough, his second marriage to Jane Dobbins Green received minimal media exposure and was a bit mysterious. But you’re about to discover its details here.
In this post, I’ll shed light on the mysterious life of Jane Green and her relationship with Kroc.
Jane Dobbins Green’s Early Life
Jane Green was born in November 1911 in Washington. Her American parents had lived in different states before they met and decided to continue their lives in Washington.
Here’s where her parents came from:
Jane’s father Warren David Dobbins was from Oregon, while her mother Grace Myrtle Duncan was from Illinois.
Jane’s parents tied the knot in 1903, and it was only a few years before they called it quits.
When Jane was 11, her mother decided to start a new love story and married Theodore Frechette in 1922. Her father, on the other hand, stayed single until the end of his life.
You might be wondering now: so, what did Jane’s upbringing look like? Well, there’s not much information about this phase of her life.
However, some sources state that she spent her childhood with her mom and stepdad. They also stated that she stayed close to her biological dad despite the geographical distances between them.
Jane’s Career: She Isn’t an Author!
Some confuse the ex-wife of Ray Kroc, Jane Dobbins Green, with the English-born author Jane Green, but in reality, they’re two different people.
Here’s the difference: Jane Green we’re talking about in this article didn’t disclose anything about her career. No reports have mentioned any details about her professional life so far.
The renowned author Jane Green, on the other hand, is a best-selling writer with notable titles Such as Bookends (2002).
Other popular titles for Green are Spellbound and Straight Talking: A Novel.
Jane and Ray Kroc’s Marriage
Like many of her life details, the exact time Jane and Kroc met for the first time is mysterious.
Still, the couple married in February 1963 to start a remarkable journey of unwavering support for each other.
At that time, Kroc had achieved incredible success in his career with McDonald’s. As such, he was a renowned figure in the business world.
Some sources claim that Jane was an integral part of that success. It seems like the couple spent the first few years of their marriage in harmony and happiness.
Nonetheless, this harmonious relationship unfortunately didn’t last long. Only five years into their marriage, the couple ran into several issues in the relationship.
These problems led to their separation in 1968.
Jane’s Life After Divorce
It’s not uncommon for many billionaires’ marriages to end in loud conflicts and media coverage.
Still, Green and Kroc were an exception. The causes of their separations remained private and the media didn’t mention anything about them.
I believe this was an indication of the high mutual respect they had in the relationship.
Post-divorce, Jane decided to stay out of the public eye and live a low-profile life. This is why it’s not a surprise that we only know a little about her personal life.
Jane’s Second Marriage
Years after ending her marriage with Ray Kroc, Jane found love again with Paul D. Whitney. Soon after, the couple started a new chapter with their marriage in 1984.
This relationship was pretty successful and marked with unwavering love and support.
But here’s when things turn tragic: Sadly, the relationship ended heartbreakingly with the death of Whitney in 2008 at the age of 80. This event had a significant share of sorrow in the life of Jane.
Jane Dobbins Green’s Children
Despite her multiple relationships, Jane Green didn’t have a biological child. So, she experienced motherhood in an unconventional way.
Green was a stepmom to the daughter of her ex-husband Ray Kroc, Marilyn Kroc. She had a supportive role in the girl’s life.
Jane’s motherhood story is a considerable reminder that even people who don’t have biological children can still form a loving family.
Was Jane Dobbins Green Portrayed in the Founder Movie?
As you probably know, The Founder is an American movie that premiered in 2016.
This movie narrates the success story of Ray Kroc as the CEO of the global fast food franchise McDonald’s.
It comes as a surprise that the movie doesn’t mention anything about Kroc’s second wife, Jane Green.
The movie only focuses on the third ,Joan Kroc and first ,Ethel Fleming wives of Kroc in its storyline. I can guess this is because of the short duration of Ray and Jane’s marriage—which lasted only 5 years.
Jane Dobbins Green’s Net Worth
It’s no surprise that, like a lot of her life details, the net worth of Jane Dobbins Green isn’t confirmed in reliable reports.
However, multiple sources state that her fortune is estimated to be around $1 million.
Her ex-husband, Ray Kroc, on the other hand, had a fortune of around $600 million at the time of his death.
He amassed most of this fortune from his wildly successful leadership role at McDonald’s.
Is Jane Dobbins Green Alive?
Some reports state that Jane Green passed away in August 2000 at 88. Nevertheless, it’s hard to confirm 100% whether she has passed away on this date.
Jane stayed totally out of the limelight after her divorce from Kroc. No one knows anything about her life since then, except for her second marriage.
Jane Dobbins Green’s Husband: Ray Kroc
Away from his relationship with Jane, here I’ll give you a sneak peek into the life and career of the American businessman, Ray Kroc.
Kroc was born in 1902 in Illinois and had a pretty humble upbringing.
Because of the life challenges he experienced during his teenage years, his educational background wasn’t remarkable.
He dropped out of high school and worked multiple jobs just to make ends meet.
The 1950s was the turning point of his life: he met the McDonald brothers, the real founders of McDonald’s, when he was working as a milkshake machine salesman.
He joined the small burger restaurant back then and built an innovative operation system for it. Years later, he bought the brand from its owners for $2.7 million and had a solid vision to grow it.
The extraordinary vision of Kroc transformed McDonald’s over the years from a small restaurant into the giant fast-food franchise we know today.
And here we come to the saddest part of the story: in 1984, Kroc passed away due to heart failure at 81. Kroc’s death marked the end of a golden era for McDonald’s expansion.
After his death, Kroc’s third wife inherited most of its fortune. To her credit, she used this fortune to support the community.
Joan became an influential philanthropist due to her continuous donations to different causes.
Wrapping Up
Now, you know all you need about the life of Jane Dobbins Green. She was the second wife of the late renowned businessman and the former CEO of McDonald’s, Ray Kroc.
The couple tied the knot in 1963 and had a marriage that lasted only five years. She has an important role in the upbringing of Kroc’s daughter, Marilyn Kroc.
Since her divorce from Kroc, Jane had lived entirely out of the public eye, but recent reports state she passed away in 2000.
